May- I have been using easi speak again to aid my formative assessment. The children painted tree pictures but the main objective was about the mood, colours chosen to represent that and the brush strokes and effect of them. The children recorded their thoughts on their paintings which showed me their understanding of the purpose.
Link to wiki http://westgoreschoolroom8.wikispaces.com/Paintings+of+seasonal+trees.

May- After using powewrpoint as a writing tool. we now have a bank of stories. I continue to add to these each day with 2 children . As well as this it is now a reading rotaion tool. Included in the lib corner rotation children can opt to read their and others stories. I find there are always 2 people reading them during this time. it is popular. I am also aware that they are actually reading, some books in the reading corner tend to be flicked through or pictures looked at. Becasue these stories are written by them they are at thier level so easy for them to read.

May- I used the coaching program to train children to put easi speak into power point. I intend to get the children to record fluent reading examples on a powerpoint. Then also add this to my reading program. I hope it will encourage children to want to be fluent and expressive so their story can go on the computer.

May- 25. I have been trying to use the school wiki more interatively with my class. Room 13's wiki has had soem information about how to summerise on it. A group recorded their summeries and talked about how to do it. I intend to show my class and get them to learn through it then comment back to room 13. The reading group involved did this and enjoyed the fact that it was another clas teaching them and that they to were learning the same thing.

June- The children are keen to listen to others reading in the power point book created with the easi speak. It has become popular like the writing book. Listening to fluent reading is a way of making them more fluent reader so if they are keen to go on to this powerpoint i the potential for improvement in their reading.

Aug- I put a blog on our class wiki to try and increase feedback from relatives. therefore getting kids excited to put work up and therefore wanting to do quality work to make it onto wiki. I will monitor how it works and if an increase in quality of work due to feed back is seen.westgoreschoolroom10.blogspot.com

Aug I have started using didi store on the nz maths site. Kids very enthused bout playing the games and all focused on games that done orally or on matt with equipment with whole class wouldnt have engaged as many kids.

Aug I have been using you tube alot more this term and it ahs shown good engaement for the kids. We ahve used it for music and dance. They have been able to visualise experts and avariety of dances to give them ideas and inspiration. I beleive this has improved the quality of their dances. and a greater understanding of the elements as they see professionals doing it.

Term 4.
As it comes to the end of the contract I have been thinking about how my class and me as a teacher have progressed as far as using ICT in the classroom. the class are certainly more independent and have the skills to adapt to new programs. they are also more keen to have a go. Most of the kids can problem solve and not panic if something doesnt work first time. The more programs they have access to the more they see the links with things like cut and paste. They can start to work out how to use programs themselves. I have seen the need to put ICT use in my long term and daily planning or it doesnt happen. It needs to be part of the routine of the classroom to be managable. This is how I see the contract continuing and the focus of ICT being maintained. I have also seen how important it is to keep check lists of who has done what on the computers as far a software. It is easy for kids to slip through the cracks and unconfident ones rely on the confident. Keeping class lists has been a good way of solving this issue.